


Prism

by Dagnabbit



Series: The Life and Times of Jane Doe [5]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Altered Mental States, Blind Character, Bromance, Coping, Eye Trauma, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-11 04:19:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3313685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dagnabbit/pseuds/Dagnabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pyro is having trouble seeing. Can Medic and Dell figure out a way to help their Pybro? Scout has issues with everyone but that's par for the course...This is a work in progress but I wanted to get it up and moving. Also, Caden Martin is PugalisticSonofaGun's Scout. (She didn't like Scott the Scout for some reason, said it was too generic?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ailment

Caden Martin, AKA Scout for Blu team, was a young Bostonian with a violent streak. He was exceptionally fast, had little to no restraint when it came to fighting, and had taken the job the Administrator offered without hesitation, as his family, dirt poor with seven brothers, needed the money.

He was beginning to see why he had signed so many waivers and piles of paperwork, though. That whole incident with Dell and Jane and the Respawn acting up almost paid out for their families. Except that he knew Dell was without surviving relatives, Jane was unknown or abandoned, depended on the day and his mood what story you got. He was pretty sure if anything happened like that to him he stood to leave his ma enough so that she wouldn’t ever have to work again.

His buddy Pyro was a different story. Scout didn’t know anything about him. He never took off his mask, and claimed to see things that no one else could see.

Lately though, Caden had noticed that his friend was extremely accident prone. He still wasn’t sure if the kid had intended to jump across the ravine or actually land on him a few weeks ago when they were out looking for Dell’s soldier. Scout frowned, thinking. He also missed his shots more, and flailed around with his melee weapons a lot more, completely missing his opponent.

If anything happened to his bro, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

He heard Pyro coming before he even saw him. Py was not near as stealthy as he was when Caden first joined the team.  When Caden joined BLU, the first week the Pyro haunted him, it was like he was fascinated or something. Naturally, the Scout knew he was the handsomest on the team but he didn’t want some weird dude in a rubber suit tailing him everywhere.

It was only after Py had tricked him into playing tag, or playing rock/paper/scissors, or drawing with sidewalk chalk all over the outside of the RED base that he realized the guy was a kid about his age. Probably a little more touched in the head though, or ADHD or something. Caden didn’t care about whatever problems he had, he was worried about him getting into a situation he couldn’t find his way out of.

But the weirdo in the mask always had Caden’s back in the Gravel Pit Wars. That was what made Caden finally feel like an older brother to him. The Pyro was excellent at foreseeing attacks that Caden often missed when he raced through the zone. And Caden was fast enough to cover the Pyro when he was cornered. But now, he noticed that his little buddy was not seeing as well.

He waited after the day’s battle was done at five-thirty to ask Pyro what the heck was going on. The kid in the mask only looked at him, and replied, “Mrrph.”

“What. You gotta secret you can’t tell me?” Pyro cocked his head at him, shrugged, and turned around to leave. Caden got mad at him. “You ain’t the only guy to have secrets, pal! I got plenty of em!” But the Pyro wandered off, hit the wall, and then after recovery went around the wall with a hand out to the side, the fingers in his gloves trailing along the surface.

Caden’s brow furrowed. Why the hell was his buddy so nonchalant? And where did he think he was going? The Scout decided it was his business to follow the little Pyro and see if his directionless movements had a destination.

As he started to sneak along to follow the Pyro, he was suddenly jerked back by Soldier. Jane Doe smiled at him, but his brows were furrowed and his look fierce.

“Where do you think you’re going? It is Kitchen Detail for you, Private! We need to feed the troops!”

Ah jeeze, sorry Jane. I forgot-“

“You will address me as SIR!” Jane barked. “You are on duty until eight o’clock!”

“All right, all right, damn, man. I don’t need you screeching at me all the time. I thought we were buds, shit. I mean sir.” Caden frowned at Jane. Jane’s expression softened a little.

“Scout, you know we are. But I am not going to baby you in front of the team. If I do that you will look even less manly with your scrawny ass.” Jane confided. Caden shot him a glare.

“Scrawny? Just you wait. I will make sure you get scrawny in your plate when you come through,”

“I probably deserve that, soldier,” Jane waved him on.

“And you know what else? You better not be lookin’ at my ass to see how scrawny I am. I’ll tell yer boyfriend!”

Caden ducked before Jane’s helmet could hit him.

……………………………………….

 

At eight thirty, Caden had finished washing the dishes and putting up the dinnerware. He made tuna casserole for everyone and normally Pyro ate it with glee and asked for seconds, but after serving his pal, the Pyro tripped over his own foot and spilled his portion. Scout quickly cleaned it up and got him a new plate, and had even carried it for him to the table. But, Pyro just put his head down on his arms and never touched his food.

He was always so secretive about eating, but when Caden was there the Pyro would roll up the corner of his mask and take tiny bites under the cover of his gloved hand. When it was tuna casserole night he ate more ravenously. But there was no appetite tonight, and the Pyro left after sitting at the table for some time, head down on his arms.

Caden thought that he looked exhausted. Certainly there was more going on here that needed to be known, or what kind of friend would he be to his little buddy?

He turned off the mess lights and went out the door, heading for the barracks. The moonlight was streaming down and it lit his path pretty well. Caden wasn’t really tired, more bored in fact. He started to trot around the buildings, jumping off the walls when he came to a corner where two walls met. When he hit the side of Dell’s toolshed, the tin sides crackled and the music that was playing inside cut off abruptly.

The Engineer ran outside, with his shotgun at the ready. “Who’s out here?” He heard Caden before he saw him. The Scout was doubled over in laughter.

“Dammit, boy! Isn’t it past yer bedtime?”

“Oh my god, you shoulda seen how you busted outta that shed!” the kid gasped out. Dell wasn’t amused.

“This here is my relaxin’ time. You are really pushin’ yer luck!” Dell growled, pushing his yellow helmet up on his head. Just as suddenly, Jane and Lieutenant Butler came outside to see what the commotion was.

“Really? You two sweethearts got interrupted by lil’ ol’ me?” Caden smirked, holding his hands clasped in front of him and twisting around on one foot, swinging his butt and batting his eyelashes.

“No, we were having dessert,” Dell said.

“I bet” the Scout replied. Jane held out his bowl of ice cream he was eating. “It is delicious,” Jane said.

“You guys have ice cream??” Caden suddenly dropped the pose.

“Yes!” Jane said. “Peanut butter cup ice cream. With sprinkles.”

Caden swiftly found his lost manners. “Peanut butter cup? Uh, sorry guys…uh, sprinkles?”

“Yes. Sprinkles are for winners.” Jane puffed out his chest.

“Peanut butter cup….um, you guys know I was just kidding. Um…” he looked longingly at Jane’s bowl, and Jane loved puppy eyes. Dell was still frowning, but Jane welcomed the kid into the shed and had Butler fetch the ice cream from the little fridge in the back room.

Of course, it wasn’t likely that the good humored Texan would remain pissed for very long, and Dell warmed up to the Scout, while he finished washing his and Jane’s bowls. He didn’t turn the music back on though, as to be polite. Once Caden started eating the ice cream, it must have been the sugar content, because the boy started talking non-stop.

“I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but Pyro’s been running into walls and shit,” Caden said, talking with his mouth full. The spoon scraped at record speed against the bottom of the porcelain bowl. “Would you like some more, Private?” Jane asked.

“Yeah!” Caden took a second bowl from Jane. Dell smiled and shook his head. At least they would be making another run to civilization soon, he made a mental note to buy more ice cream.

“Anyway, he hardly touched his food tonight. I dunno what’s up with him.”

“Perhaps he needs ice cream,” Jane suggested.

“Nah, that can’t be it. He was actin’ like his head hurt. He didn’t touch my tuna casserole, and everyone loves that.” Scout finished the last of the bowl, gulping. ”Hey Jane, ya got anymore?” Dell looked over the Scout’s head and shook his head at Jane to cut off the boy.

“Affirmative” Jane handed Caden a third bowl. Dell sighed. Well, it was just as well, he didn’t need to gain any extra weight.

When Caden left the shed he was literally dancing in place. The sugar rush caused the Scout to speed off, bouncing along the ground and double jumping off anything in his path.

Jane closed the door behind the disappearing Scout and walked over to Dell, who was at his desk, busy drawing up blueprints for some upgrades. He put his hand on Dell’s shoulder and asked, “Would you like dessert, then?”

“Ya fed it all to the kid,” Dell said absentmindedly, scratching out calculations on the corner of a paper. Jane smiled.

“I meant _dessert_.”

 

…………………………………………

 

Caden blurred along the outside of the BLU base, throwing rocks and jumping ravines. His blood was surging with power. His ma always thought he was hyperactive, but mostly it was to escape the wrath of his seven older brothers when he pissed them off.

He was around the south side of the complex when he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the Medic’s surgery wing. The windows were small and at least twelve feet above the ground, but Caden was bursting out of his seams with energy and he managed to catapult himself high enough up to grab the edge of the windowsill.

He peeked through the window and saw the tall doctor working over the table on someone. He couldn’t get a better look because a hanging ceiling light was blocking the figure on the table. The groaning from the table was awful enough. What was the Medic up to?

“You need to hold still for me to examine you,” he heard the doctor say. Caden heard the grumbling reply. _Oh my god, what if this is one of the Medic’s sex kink things that I’ve read about_? Caden thought. _If it is I shouldn’t be up here tryin’ ta get a better look_ … It was no use, however. Caden could not see around the light fixture, and the whimpering didn’t let up.

“How long have you had this pain? What does it feel like? What exactly are you seeing?” The Medic was really drilling the patient in there. Caleb would have continued listening in, but the whining whimpers were driving him crazy. What the hell was the man doing, if not alleviating the pain?

He jumped down to the ground and thought there must be a better way to get in there. Caden trotted around to the entrance of the surgery wing and pushed on the door. It wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard he threw himself on it. The groans were almost too much to bear. He slammed on the entryway repeatedly with both wrapped fists.

The Heavy opened the door, and looked down at Caden. “What?” he rumbled.

“Hey, I don’t know if you guys are just doing whatever it is that you do after hours, but torture shouldn’t be one of ‘em. Let me in!”

The Heavy shut the door in the Scout’s face.

Caden threw up his arms. He hated being ignored. He started pounding on the doors again, demanding to get inside.

The Heavy once again opened the door and looked down, but Caden had already catapulted over the giant and headed for the room he had scoped out earlier. Scout looked in every bay but didn’t find the one with the light fixture. Unexpectedly, he ran right into the Medic.

“Oh!” Scout looked up into the doctor’s eyes.

“Ja, Scout?” the Medic asked, stepping out of a darkened room. He was certainly ruffled up over something. Caden decided to tell a little white lie.

“Uh, Demoman cut his hand on the glass from a broken bottle again and he asked me to fetch you?” Caden gave the doctor a look that said _can you believe it?_

The doctor sighed. “Let me get my Quick Fix,” he said, with an air of exasperation. He turned around and went to the bedside of the room and spoke quietly to someone. Caden realized it must be the room he was spying in, but the light was turned down. A weak whimper was the only reply. The Scout hid behind a table.

When the Medic stepped out, he looked up and down the hall but didn’t see Caden hiding, so he shut the door behind him and strode purposefully out to heal his charges.

When the door shut behind Medic, Caden came out from hiding, and opened the door to a darkened room. “Hello?” he asked. Nothing replied. The Scout, more than a little nervous, stepped into the room. “Hey. I know someone’s in here,” he stated, a little louder.

“Please…” a whisper in the dark replied. That voice was clear as a drop of water, and filled with such pain and wretchedness that Caden forgot all of being afraid and instead, reached out to flip the light switch.

“AAAAAGGGGHHH!” a scream pierced the room when the light turned on. “GOD! IT’s BURNING AAAAAAHHHHHGGGGHH!” Caden almost jumped out of his skin and quickly flipped the switch back off. There was panting in the dark.

“Christ, man, I’m sorry,” the Scout offered. When there was no reply, Caden slowly made his way across the darkened room to the bedside table. His eyes picked out a form on the bed. When he looked down at the table, he saw Pyro’s mask.

Oh my god. Py??” Caden said. He leaned forward in the gloom and could just make out a face in the dark.

“Caden,” the figure wheezed, as a hand gasped at the air. Caden grasped it. The hand was not covered in rubber. This meant that Pyro was exposed. Caden shut his eyes and thought, if he gets mad at me for letting everyone know what he looks like…


	2. Cross to Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caden sees Pyro for the first time.

Caden’s eyes gradually adjusted to the gloom, and he saw his friend, sunken and wan, his head cradled by a fluffy pillow. The blanket pulled over him that he clutched in a white fist was twisted up to his chin. Caden drew in a sharp breath. “Dude…”

He saw a rounded face, with a slightly pointed chin. His features were feminine, but that was more than likely because of the tuft of snow-white hair on his head. A pair of cloudy auburn-red eyes looked through him. The lids were tilted slightly at the corners, suggesting Asian heritage. His nose was razor edged though, and fairly fine.

“Don’t look at me…” Pyro whispered. “Hideous…” His hand weakly waved at Caden in a dismissing manner.

“Py…its’ ok we are buddies no matter what you look like. There ain’t nothing wrong with ya.” Caden spoke in a hushed tone. Every time his voice went above a whisper Pyro winced. “Dude… what’s wrong with you?”

“Rainbows…the lights. My head…” Py groaned. “I…I can’t live like this anymore. It’s getting worse.”

“Uh…so you are here letting Medic fuck with you? You know he’s gonna want to examine everything. You were screaming bloody murder!”

“Migraine…please go away, Caden…” Pyro was panting in pain, a fine sheen of moisture gathered on his upper lip.

“Jesus. I can’t leave you here like this.” The Scout looked back and forth. “I bet that Quack has painkillers in here somewhere…” Caden quietly got up and left the room. He headed towards the Medic’s office.

When he got there he found the door ajar, and the Heavy was in the room. He hid around the corner and called out in his best Medic imitation.

“Heavy! Assistance, Bitte!”

It was like shaking a bowl of kibble in front of a starving St. Bernard. The door flew open and the Heavy blew past the Scout, thundering along like a juggernaut, focused only on the exit of the building.

Caden chuckled at how sly he could be. He slunk around the door and closed it quietly behind him. He started rifling through the cabinets. Certainly the man had to have some sort of pain-killer here, he did preform open-heart surgery on every member of the team. Scout knew from experience. His chest had to be opened twice because the Medic’s pet chicken Archimedes got sewn up in there after the first surgery. Stupid dove.

Finally he came across a box labeled, “hydromorphone”. Uses included short-term relief of migraines. Caden rushed back through the wing to Pyro’s bay. “Hey buddy,” he spoke quietly. “I found something for ya.”

Caden quickly opened the box. Inside was a lollipop. “What?” The Scout was confused. “Candy?”

The Pyro struck like lightning. “GIVE IT TO ME!” he shouted, the wrapper torn off and the candy shoved into his mouth before Caden even knew it. Instantly, the Pyro’s eyes rolled up in his head and he sagged back into the pillow, humming.

“Wow. Good huh? You feeling any better?” The boy sat up, smiling. “Mmm-hmm!” he hummed around the candy. He grabbed his rebreather mask and pulled it over his head.

Caden was shocked at how quickly the pyro recovered. That was some kinda miracle, like the ones you read about in the bible. He took the package and stuffed it into his back pocket.

“Py, we gotta get you outta here, that crazy doctor and his trained bear will be back any minute,”

“Mrrph!” the Pyro hopped out of bed, and dropped his hospital gown, grabbing his rubber suit to pull on. Even though he was wearing a t-shirt and underwear under the gown, Caden looked away, uncomfortable that he had seen more of his buddy in one night than he ever had before.

The two snuck along the wall, Caden leading, because even though the Pyro’s headache was gone, he was still visually impaired. Caden didn’t feel bad at all stealing the Medic’s hostage. _That crazy bastard_ , he thought. _Who knows what plans he had for his best friend?_

When the coast was clear, Caden grabbed Py’s hand and fairly drug him to the exit, and out into the darkness. “Mrrph mr-Mrrfrrf?”

“The only place I know we’ll be safe,” Caden replied.

…………………………..

 

WHAM WHAM WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM! “ENGIE!! OPEN TH’ DOOR!” Caden was furiously pounding on the door to the toolshed again, this time with his fists instead of his feet. The door slammed open, and a rock-hard arm shot out and grabbed Scout by the neck.

“MAGGOT!” Jane screamed at the Scout. He was standing rigid with his boots and his American flag boxers on, but nothing else.

“Hey*gasp* Comon already!! Let me go!” Caden cried. Jane dropped the boy on the ground. The Pyro stood behind Caden, mute but staring. “The fuck. What is it about choking the shit outta me?”

Dell quietly peeked around from behind the Soldier, wearing only a pair of sweatpants and looking a little tousled.

“Jane, calm down. It’s just th’ kids-“

“They have interrupted dessert for the second time tonight.” Jane frowned down at the two of them. Caden looked to Dell for clemency. Dell sighed, and came around to stand in front of Jane.

“What’s up, son?”

“It’s Pyro. I found him in a room in the Medics’ surgery wing. He was screaming like a banshee. I think the doctor’s gone crazy,”

All three of them looked at the Pyro. He was staring back at them, humming and wiggling in place.

“Pyro? You ok in there?” Dell asked. He was concerned. Pyro was a little off in left field most of the time, but he always chalked that up to playing with fire. The Pyro looked back at him, and clapped his gloved hands together, giggling.

“Did the Medic give him anything?” Dell asked. Caden pulled the box out of his back pocket. “No. He didn’t, he was letting him suffer in the dark, and I had to go find something to give him. This stuff says it’s for migraines.”

Dell read the box. “I don’t know how you got ahold of this or if Medic’s getting sloppy and just leaving this laying around, but this is a controlled narcotic!”

“Really? Then why is it a lollipop?” Caden asked.

“Well, the delivery of the drug is the same in an oral dose. This probably works faster,” Dell scratched his head. Pyro stopped hopping and focused on the box.

“Well, you better bring him in here, no telling what the Doc is gonna think when he discovers his patient is missing. I’ll give him a look and see if there is any funny business on his part, but, I think the Medic does know what he’s doing. I’ve known him longer than any of y’all.”

Jane cleared his throat. Dell looked up at him, then smiled a goofy grin. “Well, almost as long as I’ve known Jane, anyway,”

Jane stood to the side as Scout, Pyro, and Dell filed back into the toolshed. He shook his head and shut the door behind him, following them inside.

“Here, Py. Sit up here on this table,” Dell said. He had pulled a long-sleeved shirt on and put a pair of glasses on to see better. He held a tiny flashlight up to the optical mask. Pyro flinched away.

“The light bothers him real bad,” Caden said. He unwrapped another lollipop, and got in front of Pyro.

“Listen buddy, our man Dell here wants ta have a look at ya. If you let him, you can have another one of these,” Caden held the lollipop up for Pyro to see. The gloves went to the base of his neck and pulled up the mask, exposing his mouth.

“Caden? Why does Dell need to see me? He’s not the Medic,” Jane and Dell focused on that crystal clear voice, with even tone and no hint of humor.

“It’s for me. I asked Dell to take a look at ya to make sure Medic wasn’t hurting ya.”

“The Medic has never hurt me. He is my friend, he gives me candy,” Pyro’s mouth frowned at Caden.

“I have candy too, man. I just trust Dell a little more right now. The Doc is weird. He didn’t even listen to ya, just let you scream. Now, here. Take this and let Dell here have a look.”

“Ok.” The pyro slowly peeled his rubber mask off. Jane said nothing, but stared at the odd boy with the white hair. Dell took a deep breath, but kept a stone face as he peered into the Pyro’s face. He was a little awed by his appearance. He was milky-white, almost translucent. And the unnerving red eyes were so unusual, even if they were unfocused.

“Scout. Give me the candy, you offered it to me,” Pyro frowned at Dell and glared at Caden, but the glances were off the mark and Dell noted this.

“Here ya go, buddy,” Caden offered the lollipop, and Pyro quickly stuffed it into his mouth, humming contentment and rolling his red eyes upward.

“Hey!” Dell said. “Didn’t you just give him some recently? You don’t want him to overdose on this stuff,”

Dell took the box away from Scout, and set it on the far table.

“Ok, son. You gotta look at me now. Is this light too bright? Dell held the little flashlight up and looked into the eyes of the Pyro as they rolled in his head wildly.

“The rainbows!! Don’t you see them, Captain America? Oh, the light! I see everything is back! This woodchuck though is sure a friendly little fellow!” Pyro sung the words out, waving at Jane and patting Dell on his head, ruffling the short cropped blond hair.

Dell looked harder at the eyes. There were bits of white colored materials in the irises, and a cloudy cornea. He clicked off the flashlight.

“I don’t know what is up in there, but it is definitely a job for Medic,” he stated. “He doesn’t have any other bruising or tremors or anything, at least that I can see. Hell, I’m an Engineer. I don’t know how to fine tune a body,”

Jane let that slide without saying anything, he knew better. Things were awkward enough with the kids barging in on the evening he was planning to spend with Dell.

Caden shuffled his feet, looking at the ground. “Are you sure you want to do that? Come on Engie, I know you are the smartest guy on the team,”

Dell shook his head. “I am pretty smart, but this is beyond my skills. I really think that the Medic can give us a better understanding as to why Pyro seems to be going blind. At least for now, the pain is taken care of,”

The Pyro was giggling furiously and pulling on the legs of Jane’s boxers, trying to make them wave in the air. Jane pulled away from the giggling maniac and swiftly disappeared into the little bedroom in the back. He came back out in his uniform, grabbed the Pyro by the arm and the Scout by the back of his shirt, and started to drag the boys to the door.

“Ah hell.” Dell muttered. This looked like it wasn’t going to be a fun night either. He rushed into the bedroom to grab his jacket and a shirt, and threw on his brown cowboy hat.


	3. Crystal Palace

“I see,” the Medic said, stroking his chin and looking at the four men in his office. Although they all looked apologetic, Medic was furious that Scout had doubted his intentions. Sure, he could be ruthless on the battlefield, dismembering the enemy and shooting syringes of unknown content at everyone, but his best skill was keeping them alive. He wasn’t a torturous ghoul, or sadistic madman. At least, not to his friends.

He kept his fingers steepled in front of him, as he looked to Jane, then Caden, then Dell, and then finally on Pyro. The boy was literally bouncing in his chair and waving his hands in front of his face.

“Pyro? How are you feeling?”

“Mrrph mrrph,” he replied. The Medic reached over to lift the mask off of his face.

Caden waited for the Pyro to repel the attack on his mask, but the Pyro let the Medic lift the rubber seal up and off of his head. The albino boy blinked hard and rapidly, his slanted eyes squinting. “Open them,” The Medic ordered, his physician’s voice prompted. Pyro obeyed. He opened them very wide, and the Medic took a pocket scope and first looked into one eye, then the other. He then turned around and took out of the cabinet some eye drops.

“What’s that?” Caden asked.

“Drops to dilate his eyes. I need to see how far zhis has spread before I can make a decision.”

“It isn’t gonna hurt him, is it?” Caleb looked back to the Pyro, who was trying very hard to hold still, but was watching the entire room all at once, if that was possible.

“You have given him enough narcotic that if I vanted to perform surgery, no anesthesia vould be necessary,” the Medic shot back.  “Now look up, Pyro, and open your eyes very wide, yes, that’s it.” The Medic was done and let the drops work. He had Pyro put his head into a special brace and went around to the other side of the machine.

“Uh, Doc?”

“Ja, Scout?” Medic replied, exasperated.

“This won’t hurt him either right? I mean, you’re not going to take out his eyes and polish them or some-“Heavy picked up Caden and took him out of the room.

The Heavy shut the door while Caden was still talking and asking questions about the whole procedure.

“Danke, Heavy,” the Medic sighed. He looked into the phoroptor/refractor and pulled up an image on the screen.

“What is it we are looking at here, Doc?” Dell asked. Jane just watched, the Pyro’s eye on the big screen looking rapidly left, right, up, down.

“I believe zhat zhis is Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy,” Medic took off his spectacles and started cleaning them on his white lab coat. “It is a degenerative disease that causes mineral deposits in ze eye and cornea. Eventual blindness vill result. The pressure of the deposits and eyestrain leads to massive migraines zhat can incapacitate ze most resolute person.”

“Oh,” Dell looked at the white haired boy. His irises were huge, and he was swaying back and forth, giggling away at something only he could see. “Well, what’s the cure?”

“None. He vill be blind permanently,” The Medic sniffed. He looked saddened by this. “You know, he loves rainbows. Too bad it vill be ze last thing he sees,”

Dell looked at the boy on the table, singing softly to himself and having a great time. It was like he was the only one there. “I guess there’s no hope then?”

Medic pondered this a bit. “I have been thinking of ways to get around zhis, but I need an Engineer to make it vork.”

“Gotcha,” Dell said. He thought about it. “Say, I’m gonna need some time for this,”

‘I have you covered, Herr Conagher. Take all ze time you need. I vill call Miss Pauling and let her know you vill need time off.”

Jane stood at attention. “I too would like to help,” he said. The Medic eyed him. “Ja, I’m sure zhat we can vork together on this, the Administrator encourages us to fix our own problems before resources go outside the var.” Jane smiled. He didn’t know a thing about what was going on, but it meant more time with Dell, so that was just fine.

………………………………….

 

Except it wasn’t. Jane was placed on Pyro duty. And the kid was coming down. The Medic had given the boy some crayons and paper, and while he drew many colorful pictures and hummed, gradually he stopped, and started rocking on his heels, holding his head.

“Pyro. Are you ok?” Jane asked the kid. The huddled figure only shuddered. Jane got up and walked over to where the Pyro had been coloring, and started looking at all the drawings. “Lots of rainbows here,” he said. The kid was barely responsive, He continued to sit in the corner, his head down. Jane watched him with the seriousness of an eagle watching a mouse.

Jane picked up a brown crayon. He started to draw a brown circle on the edge of the paper. The Pyro heard the scribbling and looked up. When he saw the large man seriously scribbling away with a crayon on his paper, his curiosity overtook his need for the drugs, and he crept closer to Jane.

Sitting on the floor, Jane gathered up more crayons and drew a black mask on the brown circle, and stripes on the tail.

“That’s your robot, isn’t it?” Pyro whispered, his voice gentle.

“Yes. It is Lieutenant Butler. He is the best gift I could ever have gotten, from the most amazing man I know.”

“You mean the Engineer. Scout says you two are in love,” Pyro stared at Jane’s face, not in focus but he knew that the Soldier was in front of him. Jane chuckled.

“Yes.” Jane started drawing with a yellow crayon. The Pyro watched, considering. “I love candy.” Jane looked up at the Pyro, and then without a second thought, pulled a lemon drop out of the pouch on his belt. “Here. Sometimes I have better stuff-“Pyro snatched it away and stuffed it into his mouth, smiling. Jane smiled back, and continued drawing.

Pyro cocked his head, looking at the pictures Jane drew. “That’s Dell!” he said, pointing at the stick figure with a yellow helmet.

“Affirmative. I feel better having him near. Everything feels better,” Jane said with a smile. He was happy the Pyro was finally making sense and at least talking to him. The Pyro looked up into the air, his eyes searching.

“I feel better when I’m with Caden.” Jane listened quietly, coloring away. “Together, we are unstoppable. We get the intel, we get past the defense, we fight.”

“We all do these things in duty,” Jane said.

“Yes, but, I never really have thought about that. When I have candy, it’s a non-stop party. I want to play with everyone, wrap them in rainbows, and share all the amazing feelings I feel. I don’t even think I’m on the same planet as everyone else.” Pyro looked down.

Jane didn’t offer anything to support the claim, but he did hand the Pyro several lemon drops. “Take them one at a time. They will last longer,” he said. Pyro grinned at him.

Between the two of them, they managed to color every scrap of paper on the floor and Pyro took to coloring the wall. Jane sat back and watched, thinking. He had learned more about the mysterious firebug than he ever thought he would have, because the kid was such an enigma. It was nice to talk to someone who seemed crazier than you were, it allowed such freedom in behavior that Jane was totally relaxed. He would never let Dell see him color with crayons.

…………………………………..

 

In the surgery wing, Dell and Medic were busy, compiling information. Dell knew he could make the lenses that Pyro needed, but the organic components of Pyro’s vision problems was something Medic needed to handle. The Medic threw up his hands in frustration.

“The crystals are the major issues, I need somezing to continuously filter the aqueous humor, vat do you think?” Medic looked to Dell.

“Huh, that would require some sort of filter, nanotech more n’ likely,” He scratched his head absentmindedly, looking at the papers in front of him.

“Or…or we could amplify what the boy is actually seeing…” Dell hummed to himself, and looked back up to the photograph of Pyro’s eye.

Medic looked at Dell with dawning realization. “Zhat’s it!”

“Uh, what?” Dell looked at the medic, not realizing what Medic got happy over.

“If we can force his eyes to vork with zhe chrystals, it vould reduce eyestrain and his headaches vould subside! I vill finally be able to wean the boy off of the narcotics!” Medic patted Dell on the back. “The worst problem Pyro has is his addiction. Hydromorphone is very addictive, unfortunately it is only effective for a little while. I do not know if I can wean him off the drugs.”

“Really?” Dell looked worried. “Shouldn’t we check on Jane then? He’s been watching Py for a while now, and I didn’t give Jane any lollipops…”

Medic and Dell ran down the hall to the infirmary and opened the door to the room where Pyro was being kept under watch. Jane was asleep, head on the desk, and Pyro was curled up like a cat next to him. Dell let out a breath of relief. He went and got a blanket to cover Pyro and gently woke Jane.

“How’s he been?” Dell whispered.

“Kid likes candy, that’s for sure.” Jane replied. Dell looked back at the Pyro. “What? You gave him candy?”

Medic walked over to them. “You gave him more hydromorphone?”

“Hydromorohone?” Jane looked clueless, and Dell asked again. “Th’ lollipops. You didn’t give him those again, didja?”

“Oh. No, I don’t have those. I had lemon drops.” Jane reached into his pocket and took out the few candies he had left.

“Of course! A placebo effect!” Medic barely could keep quiet, making happy sounds and hugging both Dell and Jane to him. “Jane, you savant! You have given me a great idea!”

Jane looked very confused then, and told Dell, “I think the Medic has got me confused with someone else. My name’s not Savant.”

Dell wrapped an arm around Jane and together they followed the Medic out of the room, leaving the dozing Pyro in a nest of blankets and crayons.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy is an actual disease, and the House fans out there surely remember the episode where Dr. House has to figure that one out. However I learned of the disease from a Dean Koontz book years ago, From the Corner of His Eye. That character had a cancer that caused rainbows in vision, but Bietti's is a disease from mineral deposits that form in the eye fluid and in the body. The cause is not known and it is genetically inherited by two carriers with the same recessive gene, of Asian decent, and since I gave my pyro all of this to deal with I made him albino to boot.  
> I'm studying nursing right now so disease and medicine will probably pop up in my ramblings a lot more than they should :)


	4. Specialized Special Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Pyroland anyway?

Caden had been angry at being put out of the wing and into the waiting room. He kicked the chairs over and yelled insults at the men inside awhile, then gave up an hour later when no one came out. Finally he fell asleep, focused on the door and willing someone to come out and tell him to knock off throwing a tantrum. He was mad at everyone in there.

“Caden, I think we need to talk,” Medic said, once he stepped out of his office and found the Scout sitting outside on the floor. Caden stood up, rubbing his eyes, and met the gaze of the Medic.

“What? Ya gonna give me hell now?” Instantly defensive. Medic sighed.

“No. I vas going to thank you. By way of ‘bringing you into ze fold’, so to speak. With your swift action, Engineer and I were able to stave off ze condition of Pyro and help him keep his job here.”

Caden looked incredulous. Usually the older men gave him hell all the time for just being himself.

“Ya mean I actually did something you guys approve of?”

“Ja. Ze Pyro is very lucky to have you as a friend.”

Suddenly, they heard a crash and screaming from the surgery wing. Medic and Caden rushed in to see Jane, wearing goggles and swinging wildly at the air at something he couldn’t see. Dell was on his back trying to remove the goggles. He managed to hook his thumbs under the straps before Jane threw him off, and once the goggles were off Jane stopped fighting, but was panting and looking totally confused.

Dell was laughing so hard he was coughing.

“Whooo-ee! That was a helluva wild bull ride!” He stood up, still chuckling, but got very quiet once he saw he had an audience. He turned red up to his ears, and held out the goggles to the Medic.

“Uh. Th’ goggles are done,”

“What the fuck.” Caden said. “I don’t even wanna know what that was about.”

Jane glared at Dell. “You didn’t tell me you were sending me to another dimension!”

Dell smiled at Jane and touched his face in an apologetic way. “I didn’t, love. That is an amplified version of what our boy in there sees. It, along with the candy drops that Medic has modified are what’s gonna keep the RED team up in flames,”

Medic was chuckling as he put the goggles on. Instantly, everything was in rainbows, and he saw magical creatures drifting around, a bumblebee Dell and a raccoon Solly, buzzing and chirping as they hugged each other, and a winged baby Scout staring at him. He removed the goggles and looked at his teammates again.

“Zhis is remarkable work, Herr Conagher! Ve should make these available for everyone to use, not just ze Pyro! It is both instantly relaxing and engaging. This will be perfect for our Pyro.”

“Shucks. Thank you, Doc.” Dell yawned. “Perhaps though, we should continue tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep.”

“Ja, certainly. I am going to my office to chart this progress however. We shall continue in zhe morning?”

“Sure thing, Doc.” Jane and Dell walked out of the bay and headed out to the toolshed. Scout looked at Medic. The doctor was reading his notes on his clipboard, and scribbling with a pencil new ones. Caden cleared his throat.

“Ahem.”

The Medic raised his eyebrows but didn’t look up. Caden took that as acknowledgement.

“Uh, Doc?

“Yes, Herr Scout?”

“May I stay with Py?”

“Certainly. That vould be ideal.”

Caden smiled. Again, he had won approval from his teammates and even a little respect from the Doc. This was a good day, after all.

Caden went into Pyro’s room and sat next to the sleeping kid. He smiled at the albino, wondering how Pyro could get away with calling himself ugly. The features of his face were so unique, so arresting. Caden loved his own looks, but the unusual combination of factors of the Pyro were beautiful in their own way. Caden smiled and brushed a lock of white hair off the other’s cheek, glad no one, not even Pyro himself, was aware of his actions.

He sat in the darkened room, knees to his chest, and finally fell asleep, the cadence of snoring finally lulling him to sleep.

………………………………………..

 

Dell was curled up in his bed, while Jane spooned him, sleep rapidly looming. He was so warm and comfortable, exhausted but happy. Jane’s breathing rumbled away behind him, He was almost certain he was asleep.

“Jane?”

“yea..”

“What did you see? Y’know, when you put on the goggles?”

Jane’s breathing got slower, and the rumbling got deeper. He was snoring. Dell asked again, hoping that he could get an answer out of him.

“Jane? What did you see?”

“Merasmus….”

Dell’s eyes widened. He knew that name. The creature that tortured Jane during the accident at Respawn. No wonder Jane was so freaked out wearing the goggles. He rolled over and hugged the sleeping giant closer to him, swearing to himself to never try that again with Jane. He never wanted him to relive that experience again.

When Dell had tried out the goggles the first time, he saw fields of flowers and rainbows, amplified to put in focus everything in his path. There was no way Pyro could miss anything heading toward him now.

But Jane had been so traumatized by everything in the past, and the recent insanity with Respawn. He had such a fragile mind. Dell felt a tear on his cheek and realized he was crying. “No way, hoss,” he whispered. “I will never let anything hurt you like that again.”


	5. It's Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyro's big reveal, and Scout gets a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MisSuzy's giving me all kinds of great ideas, so this isn't finished yet, and I might have to come back and edit as i have like 5 revisions on my laptop that are scrambled together, lol. Enjoy.

 

The Medic woke up, having fallen asleep at the desk during the early morning hours writing notes and compiling files. Heavy had come in sometime after, removed his glasses and covered him with a blanket. He was no doubt asleep in his bed. Medic sighed. He knew that Heavy hated to sleep alone but the progress with Pyro had overridden personal preference and Medic enjoyed his research so much that he often neglected his own wants and needs. As he had now.

“Ach, my Bear,” Medic said to himself. “I promise I will make this up to you.”

Once he had found his spectacles and raked his hair back with his hands, he brushed the wrinkles out of his trousers and walked to the door. As soon as he opened it he was met by Caden.

“Hey Doc!!” The Scout said, clearly excited by something. The Medic smiled at him.

“I trust all vent well last night?”

“Yeah, and when Py woke up I brought him to the surgery wing! We’ve been waiting for ya.”

Caden grabbed the Medic by the hand and tugged him towards the wing. “Ok, ok, I am coming,”

“Well, we’ve only been up about 30 minutes. Py says he’s hungry, and I wanted to get his goggles on him before we left for breakfast,” Caden explained. They opened the door and Pyro sat calmly on the examination table, kicking his legs and swaying.

“Don’t worry, Doc. I only gave him lemon drops.”

“That’s good, Scout. I have a newer drug for him that will not be so hard on his system, and with it we can wean him off the harsher drugs,” Medic replied. “Guten Morgen Pyro. I trust you slept vell this morning?”

“Yes, I did, thank you.” Pyro tilted his head and squinted at the Medic. Caden looked back and forth at the two. The Medic seemed to be squinting right back at Py.

“Hey, Doc…uh, about the goggles?”

“Ja, I vill be placing them on his eyes shortly. One moment, Scout. Do you see zhis?” Medic took out a pocket light and checked each eye, the Pyro clearly comfortable under examination. Caden tried to look into the eye but the tiny white specks made it difficult to see where the iris began.

 

“I don’t even know what I’m lookin’ at, Doc.”

The Medic spun around on his heel and quickly walked over to the window, where a crystal light-catcher slowly turned in the morning light.

“See zhe colors that are spinning on the walls vhen I touch this crystal? This is what our Pyro is seeing, times millions. It can be either incredibly distracting or focused into blinders, per say. Once Pyro has his new goggles on, he will be corrected for a time. However zhe problem of his blindness remains uncured.”

“So what does that mean for Py? Ya just going to put him out to pasture or put him down or what?” Caden was angry. There was so much hope going into these glasses and he was sure the brainiest of the team would be able to do something. “Ya can’t let him go, Doc. He’s…he’s my best friend. He’s my only friend.”

Py turned his head towards Caden. He scanned his eyes back and forth, unaided and blindly, but Caden could see that the cloudy red eyes were seeing something.

“Caden? You…me…we are best friends?” Py’s voice, hushed. Clipped, quiet words flowed from his lips and Caden felt pinned to the spot all the sudden.

“Yeah. We do everything together. You’re the lil’ bro I don’t have here.”

“But-but I am so ugly! I am a freak with white hair! You are so…so handsome. I am nothing like you...” Pyro stammered these words, and although it hurt the Scout to hear this beautiful boy to call himself all these things, his voice was music.

“Naw. Naw, you aren’t ugly, man. You’re beautiful! In a totally non-gay way. Don’t you dare tell anyone I said that!”

“They wouldn't understand me if I did,” Pyro whispered sadly back, smiling a little, but his glance wandered back to the wall. Caden didn't know or care, but he was red with embarrassment. He glared at the Medic.

“You waitin’ for an invitation? Let’s try these babies out!” Caden quickly pulled the Medic over and whispered furiously at him. “I mean it. Don’t you DARE say anything of what I just said.”

“Patient confidentiality assured,” the Medic whispered back, smiling. It was cute, he thought, the way the boys were toward each other.

“Here we go, Pyro! Here is new medicine.” Medic handed Pyro some hard candies. Pyro quickly took it and grinned.

“Ooh! Fruit flavors! I like it!” He wrapped his arms around himself and hugged. Caden smiled quickly at him but swiftly dropped it when he glanced at Medic.

“Yeah, Py. They are to keep the headaches away. They are better than what you had before,” Caden explained. The white-haired boy looked down at him, and Caden offered up the goggles. “Put these on, they’ll help ya see.”

The instant Pyro put the goggles on was one that Caden would never forget. Py stared right at him for the longest time, and Caden for once without words, stared back. Finally he asked, “Well?”

Pyro jumped down from the table and hugged Caden so hard the boy couldn’t breathe. They were both laughing as Caden struggled to get out of his grip, and finally Py relented, setting Caden down, and the two raced out of the surgery wing.

Medic chuckled, watching the retreating figures. Heavy walked up next to him silently, and put an arm around the doctor’s shoulders.

“Is good work, doktor.” Heavy said, rubbing the Medic’s shoulders, and he allowed himself to relax under the ministrations of the giant. He sighed heartily.

“Come. You need sleep in bed, not desk.” Heavy carefully picked up the doctor, and carried him to the bedroom. In the arms of his beloved, the Medic allowed his mind to slip slowly away, he was so worn out, and grateful that his Bear was not angry with him. He was asleep before the Heavy laid him down in the bed, and the gentle giant carefully and delicately tucked him in.

                                                                     ………………………………………

 

Pyro and Caden picked up their breakfasts from Dell and Jane, who were taking the duty that week. Dell was more than happy to give the two boys a whole bottle of syrup for the flapjacks he offered, while Jane served up bacon and eggs.

“Well, Pyro! Those are some good-looking spectacles, iffin’ I do say so myself!” Dell said, proudly. Pyro nodded, and took his breakfast to the table where Caden already sat, pouring syrup on everything.

“Here, Py. I saved ya some,” Caden offered the bottle to Pyro, who looked at it and was glad that his friend left a quarter of the syrup for him. He didn’t mind though, he had a pocket full of candy. Caden ate quickly, but watched his friend a little more closely, and feeling something. It was a fluttery, weird feeling he couldn’t put a finger on. The way Pyro rolled up the corner of his mask. Every bite that he took with those delicate teeth. His skin was so white, and his jaw had not one hair on it. He was beautiful…but the Scout pushed aside that intrusive thought. _He’s a GUY-_

“What?” Pyro’s crystalline voice punctured Caden’s thoughts.

“Huh?”

“You are staring at me. It’s the goggles, isn’t it?”

“No. I…I...I mean, yes. No.”

Py chuckled. “Well, what is it? I know that I am handicapped, but I’m still the same. Thanks to Dell, I’m more than everyone’s equal. You don’t have to look out for me anymore,”

Caden had stopped stuffing his mouth, looking at the Pyro’s masked face with such an expression of loss, that the Pyro thought he had said something offensive. “I mean, you have your own quota to meet, I don’t need to hold anyone back anymore, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“Naw, man! We are buddies! We stick together! We are a team! I have never considered ya a burden, Py! You are my best friend!” Caden knew he sounded a tinge desperate, but he didn’t care. The Pyro cocked his head and looked at his friend.

“Well, if you are certain…” Pyro continued eating. Caden sighed. He wasn’t sure what the Pyro thought, but he felt a pull in his chest that hurt when he thought of him. He looked down and away, pushing the remains of his breakfast away, suddenly slightly nauseous. He stood up.

“I think I gotta go to the restroom. I’ll catch ya later, Py. See ya?”

“Hrrph!” Py replied. He had finished his food and the mask covered up his face once more, the Pyro safe and protected from the outside world, wrapped up in rainbows in his line of sight. He hopped up and embraced the Scout, and took their plates to the kitchen counter. Caden ran away from the room.

                                                                     …………………………….

Jane had watched the boys ever since they had come into the mess hall. Even if he was a man of few words, not a lot got past him in the way of body language. He saw the inner struggle of Caden. And he recognized that something had happened, the way the boy had started to fidget and stare. The way the Pyro had looked at Caden like a kid going off to college and bidding his doting parents goodbye, and Caden reacting like a mother hen but repressing it badly. Jane knew.

“What’s on yer mind?” Dell asked, bringing Jane out of his thoughts and back to kitchen duty.  He looked at the engineer and smiled. “I figured something out. I think Caden’s got a crush on Pyro.”

“Yeah, I ‘spected that, when the kid stole him from the Medic. Kids’ gotta big heart,” Dell said, washing up the dishes and passing them to Jane to dry. “I don’t know though, if he knows it himself.”

“Did you know?”

“I knew the moment you came to my shed.” Dell grinned at Jane, and chucked his knuckles against the chin of the Soldier.

Jane smiled, looking down at his little engineer. “I knew the moment I dropped my seabags in my barracks when you came to welcome me to the team.”

                                                                ………………….………

Caden walked along the side of the chain-link fence, tossing rocks over the side, and kicking at the few in the sand. Every time he thought of Py, his stomach fluttered, and the breakfast he ate churned up. He shook his head and picked up a larger rock, and chucked it hard. It ricocheted back off the brick wall and hit his forehead. “Ahh! Shit!” Caden sat down in the dust, holding his forehead. His breath hissed in, and he looked at his wraps and saw blood _. Fuck it,_ he thought _. I ain’t going to the Medic with this. I can’t look at any of ‘em now._

It was quiet, save for the twittering of a few birds and the light breeze in the desert air. There was no battle scheduled today, so there was no distraction for him. He was alone with his thoughts. At least the pain from the rock provided something for him to seize upon. But, try as he might, he couldn’t stop thinking about the white-haired boy. _I am such a fool…_

“Mrrph. Mrrph mrrph.” Caden about jumped out of his skin. “Oh! Hey Py! Uh…”

“Shut up, Scout.” Pyro had rolled up his mask and pulled it off, his white hair blowing in the dry air, and the goggles reflecting the midday sun. His skin glowed under the harsh light. Caden was speechless, and he stood awkwardly to the side, looking at his shoes. Looking at anything but Py.

“There’s something I need to say to you, “Pyro said. Caden finally looked up at him, his hands on his hips and his body poised to flee. A smile was on his face though, and the Pyro felt happy. “I want to keep this between you and me.”

“What between you and me? You mean me being your big brother? ‘Cause everyone knows that already.”

“This between you and me.” Suddenly, the goggled albino reached out quickly, grabbing the startled Scout by the back of his head, and pulled him in for a kiss. Caden was so shocked, so frightened, but so jubilant at the same time that he froze. He didn’t know what to do, except stare into the goggles. The kiss was electrified, the heat was real, and the boy’s heart surged.

Pyro pulled back, and raised his goggles up on his forehead. Caden stared into the red eyes, which were focused more than ever now. “W-what? Uh, wow. I-I don’t know what to say…”Caden’s voice trailed off, and the Pyro smiled at him.

“I have magic.”

“Yeah you do! Uh, wait. What?”

“Look. I discovered this some time ago, I never showed anyone, because I was scared of it. I always was able to do this,” Pyro held out a gloved hand, and pulled off the glove. His perfect white hand curled into a fist, and then when he opened it, a flame kindled in the palm, burning intensely. “I create light, Caden.”

The Scout’s eyes widened in surprise. “Holy crap! That’s freaking amazing! How did you do that?”

“I always was able to do this. I burned down the orphanage where I was from. I don’t remember my family or home. All I remember is being shuffled from foster home to foster home. I’ve been studied, and passed around from place to place. No real family.” The boy looked into the horizon, his eyes seeing many past places and faces. Caden was spellbound.

“The Administrator found me, recruited me. I was homeless and unwanted. I was always told how ugly I was. I was alone for so very long. Medic though, he was the first to show me such kindness. I finally felt like I belonged.” Pyro again smiled, this time, focusing his ethereal gaze on the boy next to him. “And you… you were so beautiful, so strong, and so handsome. I remember following you, and mimicking you, too shy to even talk to you. And-“

Here Pyro laughed. His voice, liquid golden notes, and wavering lines of heat rose from his being. “And you ran from me! It was fun though, and I knew that being comical would make you see that I was not a creepy guy. Just-“He sighed, exhaling, and the Scout could have sworn he saw steam like what a dragon would breathe, exit his perfect mouth. “Just an ugly boy, looking for a friend.”

Before he knew it himself, Caden was wrapping his arms around Py. Sometime through the monologue tears had fallen, unnoticed, as Caden tried to wrap his mind around the no-family concept that Py had spoken, and he himself felt so humbled, so privileged to have the big family he came from. He wanted nothing more to give all of that to this lost child. What was another brother? He knew his ma would embrace him and the clan would take him in.

“Never. Never let you feel alone, ever again, Py! You are my brother, no matter what. I don’t care if you burn the entire base down by accident! I’m so sorry…I wish you coulda been born into my family! But that don’t matter! Ma would love to have you over! My big brothers would love ya too, and you’d never be lonely again!” He fairly sobbed the words out, not even giving two shits about anyone overhearing it. Wiping his face with the back of his wrists, he stood back from the younger boy, and offered a crooked smile, through tears. Pyro looked stunned, but happy nonetheless.

“A family? Truly?” He grinned huge, and scooped up Scout in his arms and hugged him, giggling. “Oh, wonderful!” Scout hugged him back, and his head fell on Pyro’s neck. He opened his eyes a bit, and a glint of light shined off the skin of the boys’ neck. He looked harder. Pyro’s neck had tiny flecks of light reflected off of it, almost like scales.

“Uh…what is that?” Caden asked, touching Pyro’s neck. Py put him down and looked at him sheepishly.

“Oh. Well…” He raised his hand without the glove, and showed it to the Scout. “As you can see…I’m not normal. But I assure you, I am human! At least, part of me is,”

The hand took on another form, a reptilian claw. Caden gasped. “No way! What are you, Py?”

“I’m…well, I’m Py. I always have been, ever since you gave me that name. I’m thinking…I’m part dragon? I don’t know, but…there’s no records of my birth to be found. It’s like…I just dropped out of the sky.”

Caden stared at his friend in disbelief. The most amazing secret thing he had ever heard of in his life was just told to him! He had always harbored a special place in his heart for the mythological, and even though he was raised catholic and told that a lot of nonsense would just addle his mind, he had always held out about magical things.

And today, he had found a dragon.

“You are so totally fucking COOL!”


End file.
